Hi friends, it is yet another wonderful day to behold the beauty of a new day. Today is the THIRD day of our re-THINK Writing Series. This content is penned by one of my colleagues. I believe you will find much value in this content. Please feel free to drop your comment(s) below.
THE UNIMAGINABLE POWER OF DECISION MAKING
…But Daniel determined that he would not defile himself by eating the king’s food or drink his wine – Daniel 1:8 (MSG). I just kept imagining what Daniel would have encountered during this period of his life. Daniel, being a very young lad taken way to captivity against his wish and having a choice to jettison his love for Yahweh and seamlessly enjoy the rhythmic flow generating from the new system he found himself. I am quite sure that, one of the skills that helped him out during that period is the right decision making skill.
Decision making is the ability to make choices confidently after a careful thought process.
People make irrational choices because they haven’t learnt a better way of making decision or perhaps they have not taken enough time to think through before their actions. Most of us are programmed to make decisions based on fear, low self-esteem, and a lack of willpower.
Someone’s noble choice to create a future without racial discrimination, great economic blueprint drove a once hostile country into a prosperous nation. He reaped the fruit of his decision and the society is much better for it. Someone’s careless and irrational decision made him and his collaborators create a weapon of mass destruction that has brought the whole world on our kneels. Such is the power of decision making.
People who make irrational decision always live to reap the fruit of their choices. The Creator has been fair to all and the fundamental law of sowing and reaping takes its full course – Remember, whatsoever, you sow, you reap. Having said all these, I will like to share with you 5 tips to help you make better decisions.
- VISUALIZE YOUR FUTURE (SUCCESSFUL SELF)
If you want to know how to make successful decisions, take a moment to think about what success means to you. How do you define personal success? Write your answer down in a journal or on a piece of paper.
- RECOGNISE THE POWER IN THE DECISION
Before you make a decision, you have to understand the effects of your choice. Any decision that you make causes a chain of events to happen.
- GO WITH YOUR GUTS
When you find yourself wavering between multiple options, your intuition is one of your most powerful decision-making tools. To hone in on your gut feeling, stop for a moment and don’t think about the pros and cons . . . simply sit in a quiet place and notice what feelings come to the surface.
So before making any major moves, take some time to explore that “funny” feeling. You most likely had a hunch before; an inkling that steered you in the right direction? That’s your sixth sense communicating with you. Pay attention to it. Be still and know.
- TAKE THE SHOTS
I used to be a victim of this before now but I am more informed. You don’t have to ask people what they think. It makes it more difficult to make a decision when you are caught up in other people’s opinions about what’s best for you.
If you ask FOUR people what they think you should do, you will most likely get FOUR different rants of advice. And the feedback will likely lead to confusion and second guessing.
Feel free to consult the people who will be directly affected by your decision . . . and then confidently let everyone know what your decision.
- ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR CORE VALUES
Decisions you make based on your core values create motivational alignment. So make your decisions based on whether or not they align with your highest values, passions, and priorities, or it’s not going to feel like you made the right choice.
Before you can figure out if the decision is united with the things that mean the most to you, you first need to get clear about what those values are. Make a written list of your highest values. And once you’re clear, make a list of all the ways your choice aligns (or doesn’t align) with those values.
In conclusion, you are the product of your yesterday and the little and seemingly insignificant decisions you make today may make or mar your future. The future is not as far as you think, it is near. Choose to make the right choices today so you can have a happier and saner society to live in.
Written by: Alikama for THE INSIGHT
Serial Entrepreneur | Digital Strategist | Writer.
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